There are a variety of hooks which have been proposed for holding objects below a shelf or mantel. These hooks generally have a C-shape or an S-shape with the top of the hook having a flat surface which rests on the top surface of the shelf. Examples of this type of hook are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,417 to Creed; U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,475 to Barry, U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,719 to Church and my U.S. Design Patent Des. 360,572. Creed discloses that a length of anti-skid material such as rubber or the like may be fixed to the underside of the portion of the hook which rests on the top surface of the shelf. The product disclosed in my patent Des. 360,572 has been sold with double sided tape on the surface that rests on the shelf. In all of these prior art patents the surface of the hook which rests on the top surface of the shelf is flat. Thus, the contact area between the hook and the shelf is constant for all loads carried by the hook. In the event that a force is applied to the hook in a direction parallel to the length rather than width of the self, the hooks disclosed in these prior art patents will rock on the top surface of the shelf, lessening the contact area and making it easier for the hook to dislodge.
There are other hooks disclosed in the prior art which provide a bumper or cushion member between the hook and the surface against which the hook rests. U.S. Pat. No. 2,500,881 discloses a hook having an inverted U-shaped portion that fits over a car window. A tubular flexible bumper is positioned at the base of the U-shaped portion and rests on the top edge of the window. The bumper is used to prevent marring and chipping of the window. This hook also has a suction cup that attaches to the face of the window preventing movement of the hook. Because the suction cup prevents movement of the hook and the bumper is captured within the U-shaped portion, the bumper cannot deform to change the contact area between the bumper and the edge of the window when a load is placed on the hook. U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,933 discloses another hook having a U-shaped portion that fits over shingles or straight portion that fits between shingles. This hook has flexible, parallel fins that deform when the hook is installed by bending into a frictionally engaging relationship with a surface. The contact area between the fins and hook body and the adjacent surface does not continue to increase as the load on the hook increases. Hooks having a U-shaped portion are not used on mantels, which tend to be thicker than most shelves. The hook with a straight portion will not hold a load when placed on a shelf. U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,803 discloses a hook for suspending articles from the edge of a table or counter which consists of an L-shaped bar having a rubber cushion member on the end of the hook that rests on the top surface of the table or counter. The shape of the rubber cushion and the hook are such that the cushion is more likely to move rather than deform, as load changes or forces act on the side of the hook. Hooks having an inverted L-shaped body like the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,803 are more easily dislodged than hooks which extend below the shelf and hold the object underneath the bottom surface of the shelf.
There is a need for a mantel hook which can securely hold objects below the mantel or the shelf and provide a greater gripping surface as the load on the hook increases. There is also a need for a mantel hook which will not rock on the shelf or become dislodged when subjected to forces against the side of the hook.